


Daddy Issues

by GirlRuledByPluto



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 11:24:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16872049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GirlRuledByPluto/pseuds/GirlRuledByPluto
Summary: Wynonna left Waverly alone with Willa and Ward in order to run away to Greece. Waverly must now face traumatic news all on her own and discover who she really is. Also technically a WayHaught fic.Waverly is 15 Wynonna is 21. Michelle is in a mental hospital instead of jail. Ward never died. etc





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Warning the beginning is sort of abusive  
> [Tumblr](https://anametodefineme.tumblr.com/)  
> [Donate to help support my writing!](https://ko-fi.com/V7V3NNHZ)

Everything was a blur. Everything was pain, from the harsh winter air filling her lungs and the way it was stinging and freezing the tears in the corner of her eyes, to the pain she felt in her heart and deep within her soul.

-EARLIER-

Christmas was around the corner, yet the holidays never quite felt like something to rejoice for. At least not to Waverly Earp. “Holidays” meant drinking, and drinking… well drinking meant something else entirely on the homestead. Christmas did not mean eggnog, cranberry sauce, wreaths, mistletoe’s, angels, nor gifts. It meant staying vigilant, walking on eggshells, and keeping your head down. A lesson the young Earp was soon to be reminded of.

Waverly grabbed a big red marker from her desk, and marked another day off of the calendar. “And so, December 23rd comes to a close!” she chirped to herself. Though it was still only 8pm, Waverly liked to stay on top of her organization. She stood in her room for a few moments, trying to decide how to finish out her night. Things hadn’t been the same since Wynonna left for Greece. Everything felt so still, the air felt so fragile, as if in a moments notice her whole world could shatter. 

Just as the young Earp was about to grab her mug to go and make some hot chocolate, the front door slammed with enough force to shake the house. Daddy and Willa were home. Quick footsteps made their way up the creaky stairs and Waverly took a deep breath, preparing for Willa’s sharp words. Her bedroom door was wide open, leaving her exposed and at Willa’s mercy.

Willa quickly passed Waverly’s room on the way to her own. Waverly started making her way out of her own room, when Willa popped into her doorway, and said in a false caring tone, “I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t leave the homestead or have any visitors today. Now that I think about it, things were like that yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that. I wonder how it feels to know that without Wynonna, no one cares for your company.” 

Waverly’s gaze fixated on Willa’s shoes, determined to not make eye contact. Her face turned warm with frustration and embarrassment. Her Christmas vacation from school had felt like a Christmas nightmare. “Wynonna has been gone for 3 years. I’ve had lots of friends over since she’s left,” a passive retaliation was all the she could muster up. “Besides, you’re 23 and your only friends are Daddy and the social worker that tried to take us away from him!” Waverly covered her mouth and her eyes grew huge.

Willa grabbed Waverly by the hair and dragged her downstairs and outside. “What did you say to me?!” Willa yelled like a spoiled child, and pulled a gun from her boot. “Oh little Waverly. It’s time to play a game. You know, like we used to?” Pointing the gun to an empty whiskey bottle by the barn, she barked orders to her younger sister, “Put the bottle on your head! This is a new game just for you Wave. I call it William Tell. I shoot it off your head, and my peace is made. I miss… and well, your peace will be made!” She smiled and kissed her long barrelled gun. 

Waverly frantically looked around, and noticed that her daddy, Ward, was standing on the the porch with his arms crossed. He nodded at young Waverly and she took a deep breath, placing the bottle on her head. Moments later the sound of gunshot and glass clattering, followed by a sigh of relief. Waverly instantly had tears streaming down her cheeks, whilst Willa smugly walked inside. 

Ward smugly smiled at Willa as she entered the house, and turned to follow her in. “D-d-d-d-daddy!” Waverly called out between her shivering and adrenaline induced tremors. Ward stopped in his place and turned to look at his youngest. “W-why didn’t you d-do anything about t-that?” Waverly now had her arms wrapped around herself, trembling in the cold without a jacket. 

Ward scowled and spat slurred words at the poor girls, “Ssstop calling me that! I aint your Daddy! Why would an Earp protect sssomeone who aint an Earp!?” He turned and threw the whiskey bottle from his hands onto the front porch, and it shattered. Waverly’s face felt flush. Her heart dropped in the the pits of her stomach and there was no time for thoughts, no time for anything, so she ran. 

Everything was a blur. Everything was pain, from the harsh winter air filling her lungs and the way it was stinging and freezing the tears in the corner of her eyes, to the pain she felt in her heart and deep within her soul. She had no jacket and it was starting to snow gently. She had no car, because she was only 15. She had no phone because Ward never bought her anything, let alone something that would be an investment in her safety. 

 

Her feet carried her, and they carried her. It felt like she had been running for a lifetime and also like it had only been a moment. All she had to help her navigate were the stars in the sky, an oh so faint outline of the road buried under the snow, and the ever so gracious light of the full moon. Although the moon reflecting off the snow left her with a well lit path, everything seemed to be getting darker… more faint. She felt warmer and warmer, almost as if she didn’t take all her clothes off in that moment, she would burst into flames. Her legs were still pumping and her lungs hurt more with every step. 

“Is that… is that a cat?” Waverly wondered as she could barely make out a dark figure ahead. Approaching much more quickly than she thought, she almost ran into the creature, but swerved her step to avoid it. She caught ice as she turned her ankle to redirected and her leg gave out under her. Face first into the snow the young not-Earp went.

 

-Some time later-

Lightheaded… nachos… tired… Waverly slowly moved her head from one side to the other. She felt so drained of energy, like she had a hangover without the spins. Slowly she managed to open her eyes and look around. Slowly observing her surroundings, she gathered that she was in the fire station. The clock read 3:33AM. She tried to sit up, thoroughly confused on why she was here. She realized that she was wrapped in many blankets, like a little burrito. She saw a man sitting in an office chair and managed to squeak out a measley “hello?”

Her turned to reveal a nurturing smile and beamed at her, “oh good you’re awake. Us firefighters are trained first responders so i figured it would be best to bring you here. My name is Charlie by the way. Do you remember anything?” 

 

“Uhm… uh.. Well…” Suddenly an orange kitten jumped into her lap and everything came flooding back to her. Fighting with Willa, running away, falling into the snow, and Daddy, er, Ward. “I had just gotten into a fight with my fa-... friends. They told me that I wasn’t,” she took a deep sigh, “that I wasn’t one of them. So I ran and I ran.” The kitten nuzzled into Waverly and she felt a little more at peace, maybe she could make her own family, and it would start with this kitten.

The man got up slowly and walked over to the other side of the room which appeared to be a break room. He brought a plate of nachos to Waverly, which she politely declined although he insisted she needed to get regain her energy. “You were very close to succumbing to hypothermia. You’re lucky this kitten was crazy enough to lay in the middle of the road and get me to stop. She guided me straight over to you in the ditch when I got out of my truck.” He smiled at the kitten and gave her gentle scratches on her chin. “And you’re even luckier that I needed to get some air, to go out for a drive. We’ve been here for about 4 hours now.”

 

Waverly’s brain was trying to piece the entire situation together. It sure felt like she had a guardian angel watching over her with the way the night played out. She looked over the mans face, he seemed so soft and so… familiar. “Well thank you, Charlie. I guess you’re my angel tonight.” She smiled softly at him and he smiled back. It oddly felt like she had a missing piece of her heart with her in that fire station break room. 

“So now that you’re okay, I should be taking you home. What’s your name, where does your family stay?” 

There was that word, that word that no longer applied to her. She certainly didn’t feel welcome nor safe back at the homestead, and it was really not her place to stay there anyways. So she panicked, “I don’t… I don’t have family. My Mother has been in a psych ward since I was six and I have a sister, but she has been in Greece for the last 3 years. My name is Waverly… Gibson.”

Charlie stared at the young girl for a moment as if cogs were turning in his head. He shook it off and then smiled at her. “So we will go to the Sheriff first thing in the morning. If you have any extended family you will stay with them, and if not then you will be placed into the foster care system. But for tonight, I’m not sure what to do with you. You could stay at my place, I live by the Sheriff’s office. Or we could try to leave you in the care of the Sheriff or one of his deputy’s.”

Every time the word Sheriff left Charlie’s mouth, Waverly could feel her stomach churn. Ward was the Sheriff in Purgatory. Was there any way that she could get through this process without having to contact him? Would he even care if he found out she was trying to be placed into foster care. Surely he didn’t give a damn, after all he couldn’t even remember her birthday. “I wouldn’t mind staying with deputy Nedley, he has two girls and I’m friends with one of them. And knowing him, I bet I could bring this kitten with me too!” She smiled at Charlie and then at the kitten, whose head she lightly patted. “Thank you so much Charlie. I owe you my life.” He simply nodded at her.


	2. Night with the Nedley's

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly gets dropped off with the Nedley's

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Tumblr](https://anametodefineme.tumblr.com/)   
>  [Donate to help support my writing!](https://ko-fi.com/V7V3NNHZ)

_ Knock, Knock, Knock.  _ The front porch light turned on, and the door slowly creaked open. A half asleep Nedley opened the door, wiping the sleep from his eyes. He was dressed in a striped pajama top and matching bottoms. He smacked his lips together after a yawn, then looked at the pair in front of him, perplexed. “Charlie and…” Waverly looked to him with pleading eyes, as if begging him to go along with it, “What can I do for the two of you?”

 

Charlie smiled and nodded toward Waverly. “She needs a place to stay tonight and said she knew one of your girls. Obviously you must know, this is Waverly Gibson,”  _ Gibson…  _ Nedley’s gaze grew slightly suspicious towards the young girl, “I found her nearly frozen to death on the side of the road. Tomorrow morning she needs to go to the station and be placed into the custody of family or foster care. I’ll come down as well to help as needed.” Charlie smiled gently to Nedley before giving Waverly a pat on the shoulder, and turning to leave. “Oh, and we got you a present!” He reached into his coat and grabbed the six month old kitten, placing her in Waverly’s arms. “Goodnight!” 

 

Nedley motioned for Ms. _ Gibson _ to come in, closing and locking the door behind her. He turned to face the young girl, his face sympathetic yet expecting answers. “Do you want to explain now or do you want to get some sleep first kid?” He yawned again. Wynonna had turned up at his place in the middle of the night many times because of Ward, so it was unsurprising to him that her younger sister followed in her steps. However the Waverly  _ Gibson _ part is where he was lost. 

 

“I would prefer some sleep first, I’m exhausted.” She let out a high pitched squeak of a yawn as she stretched. The clock read 4:02AM. It really is so sweet of Nedley to just accept her into his home like this so late. She pointed at the staircase as if asking where she would be sleeping.

 

“Chrissy has a Christmas event in the city early tomorrow morning so we should try not to bother her. Go ahead and share Nicole’s room with her, she has been up all night working on her elf costume for the station’s North Pole meet & greet tomorrow. A little human interaction would probably help her sanity right about now.” He chuckled a little to himself and then gestured towards the Santa costume laid out on the couch, “I get to be the big man this year. Your daddy seems to have lost all his Christmas spirit.” 

 

Waverly smiled and nodded and headed upstairs. She couldn’t recall Ward ever having Christmas spirit, but didn’t feel the need to comment on that fact, or on the fact that he wasn’t her Daddy. She walked past Chrissy’s room, past Nedley’s room, and up to the door at the end of the hallway with light creeping out from underneath. She took a deep breath and knocked softly on the door. Waverly had never really interacted with Nicole before. She knew that Nicole was an orphan, adopted by Deputy Nedley, and that Nicole followed him around like a shadow, but beyond that nothing. She was 2 years older than Waverly so they didn’t really see each other at school very much even.

 

“What’s up?” Nicole responded quietly to the knock, probably assuming that it was her father figure on the other side of the door. Waverly simply knocked again, just as softly. “You can come in!” Waverly twisted the doorknob, not really knowing what to expect on the other side of the door. She instantly caught Nicole’s eyes, which were thoroughly surprised to see her. 

 

“Randy said I could sleep in here tonight? I got dropped off here… it’s been a crazy night.” The brunette let out a sad, tired, defeated sigh. She placed the kitten on the floor, hoping it would be well accepted.

 

Nicole’s face swapped from confusion, to concern, to sympathy in a matter of seconds. “Oh” Finally she gave Waverly a loving protecting smile. “Of course you can. It’s Waverly right? I’m Nicole. My last name is Haught not Nedley though.” The kitten meandered over to Nicole and promptly plopped into her lap.”Where did this little one come from? Does she have a name?”

 

Waverly’s face filled up with pure joy at the sight of the two red haired ladies bonding. She instantly felt so safe around Nicole, and instantly felt like she could trust miss “junior deputy” to take care of the kitten as well. “Well, she kind of saved me tonight. It’s a long story I will probably tell you tomorrow if you want to hear it.” Finally Waverly noticed the elf costume surrounded by a million billion felt scraps, and let out a small giggle. “I suppose since she cuddled up in your lap so instinctually, she must’ve decided that you’re her momma. So in that case, Miss Haught, what will be the kittens name?”

 

Nicole’s eyes widened with bliss. ‘Wow’, Waverly mentally noted, ‘Nicole has such beautiful eyes, the light reflects off of them so perfectly’. Nicole stroked the kittens head and shoulders slowly, pondering on a name. “You know, I think Calamity Jane would be a perfect name. She was a frontier woman and a survivor. Just like this little lady by the sounds of it!” The brunette sat next to the adorable pair, patting the kitten with one hand and starting to help clean up the felt with the other. 

 

“That sounds like something out of a western,” Waverly giggled, “I love it!” She looked around Nicole’s room. It was so much nicer than her own room at the homestead. A queen mattress, a proper dresser, she even had a TV, upon other things. Apparently dad’s could be good dad’s even if they weren’t biological. 

 

Nicole began to help the felt clean up effort. Overall the Elf costume didn’t turn out terrible. It wasn’t her most favourite thing in the world, but given her limited crafting skills, it would have to do. “So we’ve got a couple options here for sleeping arrangements, which we should do soon. Either I can sleep on the couch and you can sleep on the bed, or we can share the bed. Or I could sleep on the floor in you don’t want to be alone.” Whatever the plan was, she just wanted Waverly to be as comfortable as possible and to feel safe, especially after mentioning that she’d had a crazy night. 

 

“Oh I can sleep on the floor, it’s no big deal. I would prefer to stay in the same room as you though. You have a good energy. I feel like I can really trust you.” The brunette smiles again softly at Nicole, and then yawned by accident, followed by a giggle for yawning. The redhead followed suit with a yawn of her own. Nicole got up and started making a second bed on the floor out of her extra pillows and blankets. “Do you happen to have any extra clothes i could switch into for bed? “

 

Miss Haught nodded and got up to grab some pajamas for Waverly, and then promptly exited the room, giving her some privacy to get changed. “Okay you can come back in now!” Waverly quietly exclaimed. As Nicole re-entered the room, she noticed Waverly taking a deep inhale of the pajamas, with which she responded to with a raised eyebrow. “Oh! Hahaha, sorry it’s just… your clothes smell like vanilla dipped donuts and well, those are my favourite.” Waverly let out another giggle. Nicole began to crawl into the bed space she made on the floor, which was met with retaliation from Waverly. “Wait no! I’m the one who is supposed to be on the floor, what are you doing?”

 

Calamity Janes nestled her way onto Nicole’s resting body. “Waverly I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor. And you told me you feel safer with me in here. So here we are.” The kitten stretched out her body and Nicole absentmindedly began to stroke her. 

 

“Okay. Well if you’re not going to let me sleep on the floor and I don’t want you sleeping on the floor then I guess we only really ever had one option. Come on your bed is big enough for both of us.” Waverly gently picked up Calamity Jane as to not disturb her from her resting position, and placed her on the bed. Then she started stealing Nicole’s blankets off of her and wrapping them around herself. In response, Nicole got into bed, bringing the pillow from the ground with her, and tucked herself under the remaining blankets. “Sweet dreams Nicole.” Whispered Waverly as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

 

“Sweet dreams miss Waverly Earp.” Nicole smiled softly to herself, watching Waverly as she slept peacefully. How lucky was she to have the most beautiful soul in Purgatory in her bed, under her protection. Nicole drifted to sleep shortly after.

 

Maybe an hour later, Waverly became restless in her sleep. “Willa… Wynonna… Momma… Daddy…” She began to breathe quickly, clearly having an upsetting dream. Nicole, not even half conscious or aware of what she was doing, snuggled up to Waverly and wrapped an arm around her, calming her down instantly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you for reading. I will try to release new chapters at least once every other day. Please leave constructive criticism as this is my first ever fic and a kudos if you enjoyed <3  
> [Donate to help support my writing!](https://ko-fi.com/V7V3NNHZ)

**Author's Note:**

> I would love constructive criticism and any other input. this is my first ever fic. I already have the first 3 chapters written but im going to stagger them so that i have time to write more. hopefully this is going to be a pretty long work.  
> [Donate to help support my writing!](https://ko-fi.com/V7V3NNHZ)


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